Respiratory Equipment

Respiratory devices and Equipment is used to help patients with respiratory problems, infections, or any other breathing issues like asthma or COPD. There are many types of respiratory devices that serve various purposes to ensure a patient's proper breathing, most notably are oxygen supplies offered at discounted prices such as oxygen tank regulators, oxygen concentrators, and more. Respiratory equipment and supplies are used at hospitals, nursing homes, and in the patients residence to better manage their lives and provide for a comfortable living situation.

If you work with patients in any kind of medical facility or take care of a loved one at home, you understand the importance of having the right kind of respiratory equipment to meet the needs of your patients. The proper respiratory supplies are essential in conducting the best care of many different kinds of patients and their varying situations. With the proper respiratory equipment and supplies caregivers, doctors and nurses can focus on delivering proper care to patients without worrying about adjusting and maintaining the proper respiratory equipment.

An oxygen cylinder is typically silver colored with a green top. The green color helps to distinguish between substances that are stored in like containers. Unlike oxygen concentrators, this type of respiratory equipment does not rely on electricity to produce the oxygen. Oxygen tanks are a very popular form of respiratory equipment because of its use in the home for patients that need a temporary supply of oxygen while at home from mild exertion or sudden onset of labored breathing.

An oxygen concentrator is a type of respiratory equipment that extracts oxygen from the surrounding air, removes the nitrogen and redirects a purer form of oxygen to the patient by means of tubes or a mask. Oxygen concentrator are the less expensive, more convenient, and safer options to tanks of compressed oxygen. Concentrators can be separated into two categories: non-portable oxygen concentrator and portable oxygen concentrators. Non-portable concentrators can be less expensive, but they are bulky and difficult to transport. Portable concentrators cost more, but have an internal battery and are smaller in size than their counter parts. Many of the portable concentrators are now FAA-approved. Make sure before using a oxygen concentrator that you have consulted with a physician to make sure of what liter flow is appropriate for your situation. Oxygen is a controlled substance so oxygen concentrators require a doctors prescription for use.

Oxygen concentrators are very different today from what they used to be. Patients undergoing oxygen therapy were once tied to their machines. If they wanted to leave home, they were forced to lug huge tanks on wheeled carts wherever they went. Heavy, potentially hazardous cylinders have been replaced with compact respiratory supplies that require little maintenance but deliver high performance oxygen concentration. Compact, patient-friendly oxygen concentrators are not only cost effective, they can also help lower shipping and storage costs.

Suction machines are used to displace fluids from body cavities. A suction machines is used to create a partial vacuum in order to create enough pressure to extract the unwanted liquids. Suction machines (also known as aspirators) have many different uses from tracheal suctioning to clearing of mucus.

A compressor nebulizer takes a small volume of liquid medication and converts it into a mist so it can be easily and directly inhaled through a mask or mouthpiece. The nebulizer element is the physical hand held device independent of the compressor, which is the devise used to power the nebulizer by providing air compression through the tubing. This respiratory equipment is available in reusable and disposable forms and is often used in situations in which using an inhaler is difficult or ineffective.

A nebulizer is a variety of respiratory equipment that is easy to use. All you are required to do is pour the medication into the cup, flip on the compressor, insert the mouthpiece or put on the nebulizer mask and slowly breathe in and out. Fast, effective treatments are available for both children and adults. In the most effective models of these respiratory supplies, the treatment lasts for only seven to eight minutes. You control the flow and minimize the amount that is wasted. The closer the patient gets to receiving their optimal dosage, the more effective the treatment will be.

are a non-invasive approach to monitoring the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin is a useful screening tool for determining basic respiratory function. The pulse oximeter is a type of respiratory equipment that uses a sensor that is placed on a thin part of the patient's body, typically a fingertip or earlobe. The pulse oximeter will show the % oxygen saturation and the pulse rate of the user and will sound an alarm if it detects the slightest unsafe change.

One way that respiratory equipment is used to delivered oxygen is through the use of oxygen tanks or cylinders. Oxygen regulators control the air flow within these devices. Regulators make certain that patients receive the proper air flow from their oxygen tank by controlling the amount of air. In oxygen therapy, being able to increase or decrease the amount of oxygen is imperative for a patient to be able to adjust the oxygen flow to a prescribed percentage.

A CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine is a type of respiratory equipment that blows air at a high enough pressure to keep air passages open during sleep. CPAPs are an alternative to surgery for people suffering from lung (pulmonary) disease and sleep apnea. By keeping the air ways inflated, patients can enjoy a restful sleep.

CPAP machines are used in the treatment of sleep apnea, a dangerous condition where a sleeping person stops breathing for an extended period of time. This respiratory device has advanced airflow settings to provide the sleeper with just the right amount of air through a mask as they sleep.

Allergies are an irregular response of the immune system. Asthma is a disorder that causes the airways of the lungs of patients to swell and narrow leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. People who have allergies have an immune system that reacts to a substance in the environment. Allergies are a very common problem, affecting at least two out of every 10 Americans. If you have trouble breathing when you sleep a hypoallergenic pillow case may solve your problem. There are several types of Respiratory Equipment used in the prevention and management of Asthma and Allergy episodes. Metered Dose inhalers and nebulizers deliver medication to your lungs to help during asthma or allergy occurrences by helping to open those airways.

An Oxygen Conserving Device is an oxygen tank regulator that allows oxygen to be dispensed only when a patient is breathing, conserving the oxygen that would have otherwise been wasted. They can also be called pulse dose regulators or oxygen tank conservers. Standard oxygen regulators distribute oxygen continuously at a set liter flow of usually 0-8 or 0-15 liters per minute. The advantage of using the type of respiratory equipment know as a oxygen conserver is that the life of the tank will be extended, minimizing refills and allow the patient to be away from the house for longer periods of time without having to switch out their tanks. The function of the oxygen conserver is to distribute oxygen from a compressed gas cylinder at a regulated dose and to conserve the oxygen by utilizing a “pulse” system instead of a steady, unceasing flow which will deplete the oxygen tanks a lot quicker.

Utilizing an oxygen conserving device will allow you to radically extend the life of your oxygen. This piece of respiratory equipment will pay for itself in conserved oxygen while providing a greater amount of mobility and improved comfort. The device recognizes inhalation right as it starts and releases a pulse of oxygen. The pulsed oxygen is utilized much better than a continuous flow of oxygen where about half of the supply is being wasted.

The most used respiratory supplies and equipment is the oxygen supplies and accessories such as masks and tubing. We carry bubble humidifiers which are used to prevent drying of the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth. A bubble humidifier attaches to your oxygen concentrator and creates humid air that is easier to breathe; it does not increase humidity levels in the room or the rest of the house and is recommended in dry climates or if the patient experiences severe drying of the nose while using a nasal cannula. An oxygen mask is placed over the nose and mouth and can be used with a oxygen tank or an oxygen concentrator. The oxygen tubing connects the mask to the oxygen concentrator or like device. Though there are many kinds of oxygen masks available, oxygen tubing is commonly universal so it can be use with different styles of masks and machines. The nasal cannula is a dual-pronged tube attached to the oxygen device that fits around the ears, and the set of prongs that are placed in the nostrils.

There are many specific requirements concerning which respiratory supplies to use in varying situations which is why most hospitals stock up on many different types, sizes and styles of units. Get everything you need from Specialty Medical Supply.